12of43Houston Texans defensive tackle Eli Ankou (96) leaps up to knock down a football during a drill at training camp at the Greenbrier on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017, in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

13of43Houston Texans defensive end Christian Covington (95) leaps up to knock down a football during a drill at training camp at the Greenbrier on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017, in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

35of43Houston Texans running back Tyler Ervin (34) runs with the football after making a catch with defensive back Marcus Roberson (38) defending during training camp at the Greenbrier on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017, in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - Bill O'Brien seems to be having the most fun he's had during his four training camps as the Texans' coach.

Ask just about anyone who watches or communicates with O'Brien each day at The Greenbrier Sports Performance Center, and they'll agree the hard-boiled coach is loving every minute of the team's first camp in West Virginia.

Maybe it's O'Brien's optimism about the season, the cooler weather, the isolation, the camaraderie developing among his players, the performance of his quarterbacks, or all of the above, but the first two weeks of camp have been pleasing and productive for the head coach.

O'Brien is tough on his players. He's as loud and demanding as ever. He preaches accountability to his players, and it extends to their coach.

Last week offered a good example. When there was too much pushing and shoving between the offense and defense, O'Brien chewed out his players, then ordered them to run a lap around the goal posts. He did the lap with them.

Pushup penance

During another practice, O'Brien called out a drill, but it was out of order. The players knew it, and they ragged on him immediately. He shouted to them, "I screwed up!" before dropping and doing 30 pushups.

"He practices what he preaches," inside linebacker Brian Cushing said. "He's one of the guys that stands by his word. Even if they weren't full pushups, we'll take it."

It wasn't the first and second time O'Brien has penalized himself. And it won't be the last. If he has a mistake - he has few - he'll pay his penance and get on with practice. And players love it.

"He's one of the guys in this organization that'll hold himself accountable as well as hold us accountable," cornerback Kareem Jackson said. "When he makes a mistake and you see him kind of punish himself, it's a testament to the things we have going and him being our leader.

The Texans have been 9-7 in each of O'Brien's first three seasons. They've won the AFC South the last two years, giving them four division titles in six years. They've never advanced beyond the divisional round of the playoffs and won't until they solve their quarterback problem.

Tom Savage, Deshaun Watson and Brandon Weeden have been terrific in camp. That doesn't automatically translate to success in the regular season, but considering how little playing experience Savage has and Watson is a rookie, it's cause for optimism as they approach Wednesday's first preseason game at Carolina.

Added involvement

Because O'Brien is the full-time play-caller for the first time since his first season in 2014 and Savage and Watson have to be nurtured, he's spending more time with the offense in general and the quarterbacks in particular.

"There's no doubt that I'm more involved with the offense, but being in charge of all three phases is something I really enjoy," O'Brien said.

During practice, O'Brien can be found wandering from drill to drill on both sides of the ball and special teams. When the offense goes against the defense, he tells the quarterback the plays through his walkie-talkie.

"I still do that," he said about spending time on each phase during practice. "Maybe I don't do it quite as much, but I'm around. They know I'm there. We still squad-meet every day, and we watch all three phases.

"It's a joy to come to work every day."

O'Brien has an outstanding coaching staff that puts in long hours. The coaches stay in their wing at The Greenbrier, but they practice, meet and eat across the street at the $30 million, state-of-the-art facility that was built for the New Orleans Saints, who didn't return after a three-year stint.

Time flies

"As coaches, we try to get up by 5 and be at the offices by 5:30," O'Brien, 47, said. "We have to get a lot done by the time the players come in around 7:30 or 8. We're usually out of here around 10:30 or 11 (p.m.). It's a fairly long day, but it's over before you know it."

O'Brien wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm having fun," he said. "I enjoy the preparation for practice, the competition in practice.

"We're doing a lot of non-scripted things, which I love. The game isn't scripted, so after a few practices, you should throw the scripts away and just give the situation and be specific about that but call plays."

Like his players and coaches, O'Brien is eager for the preseason to begin. It's the next step in player evaluations as the Texans get closer to Sept. 10 and the start of the regular season against Jacksonville at NRG Stadium.

"I really like this team," O'Brien said. "I like everything about it. I enjoy coaching these players. They work very hard, and I appreciate that."

John McClain, a Waco native who graduated from Baylor in 1975, is in his 43rd year at the Houston Chronicle and his 40th covering the National Football League, including the Oilers and Texans. He worked for the Waco Tribune Herald from 1973-76, when he accepted a job with the Chronicle. to cover the original Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association.

McClain has a plaque in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio as the 2006 winner of the Dick McCann Memorial Award presented annually by the Pro Football Writers of America to a writer for his long and distinguished coverage of the NFL. He is past president of the Pro Football Writers of America.

He's a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Committee and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

In 2015, he was named as a Gridiron Legend in Texas, becoming the third member of the media behind Dave Campbell and Mickey Herskowitz.

McClain can be heard six times a week on the Texans' flagship station Sports Radio 610 in Houston. He also does weekly sports talk shows in Nashville, Knoxville, Waco, Austin and San Antonio.

McClain also has appeared in eight movies: The Rookie, The Longest Yard, Spring Breakers, Secretariat, Invincible, Cook County, The Game Plan and Make It Rain.

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